A Birthday to Remember
by Britican
Summary: A re-posting from 4-5 yrs ago. Sarah gets a visit on her B-day from Jareth that leads to an adventure. Will be rewritten and plot changed from previous version.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Birthday to Remember

Author: ~ Britican

Rating: M- just because I'm not 100% sure of where I'm going with this. I am on chapter 8 now. LoL

Notes: Blah! This was on ff.n . It's unfinished, as of now. I'll post chapter by chapter and so forth. Some people who reviewed like it, and I hope you do as well! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own none of the Labyrinth. Nothing, and from here on out. Only a few characters I make up.

A/N UPDATE: I wrote this about 5 years ago, and this is only the first 3 chapters, the others were lost, so in a bit I will go and re-write all the chapters and fix them up better. Some readers may remember this as about 20 reviewers were angry with me for killing off a character who, will not die in the reposting as they might recall I had done an alternate ending. These chapters are poorly written in my opinon so look for updates of my writings. Working on current story Hard to Let Go posted elsewhere on here under my name.

A mystery gift

"It pains me so, this unbearable silence of the heart. My lips dare not trespass into the war torn desert of agonizing emotions that stir me so. If I knew then what I know now, then spared a millennia of lonely-ness and antagonistic thoughts chewing at me, I would be. Refused you once, out of ignorance but again, be it not so…" recited Sarah on the stage into the warm spot lights. The stage and the audience were dark, not a sole could be seen if the cast wanted to spot friends or family at this moment.

It was opening night at the Raindrop Theatre, located on the outskirts of London. Toby sat in the crowd watching his now 24 yr. old sister act. He was nine and hardly understood the meaning of the piece but enjoyed his sister's company. His parents were too busy to be here tonight, like every night, so he sat alone, towards the aisle. After Sarah's last appearance he would leave for the dressing room to meet up with his sister. Toby didn't mind; he got chocolate and sweets as he wished. He came to every other practice with Sarah and knew the troupe quite well. They all were friends. "...with my years of growth. I have enjoyed my thoughts and regretted your absence. Alas, you are not evermore to meet me. Farewell, until we meet in a more pleasant land," Sarah fell and was dragged off stage. Knowing his cue, Toby silently rose with his backpack and headed into the dark vom. It was also Sarah's birthday, her 25th. Sarah's troupe was to take them out to dinner, and Toby was rather excited.

"Excuse me, young man," a soft British voice spoke to Toby and stood in his path in the dark hallway, hidden in the shadow. Toby looked up at this barrier and could make out a delicate form with unusual hair. "Do you mind taking this to your sister for me? There's a good boy," he said taking hold of the surprised boy and placing a box in his hand. "Run a long now," the man said and petted his head and started walking off.

"Who is it from?" Toby started.

"An old friend," the voice chuckled then the man vanished behind the black curtains into the theatre. "One more thing, tell your sister Happy Birthday," he vanished, leaving an eerie chuckle to stay a few minutes ringing in Toby's ear. Toby looked into his hands and could only make out the outline of a box and felt it, a light, delicate thing. He hurried out into the lobby and backstage.

"Whoa, slow down there Toby. Anybody think the stage was on fire," warned Jackson, the manager.

"Sorry Jack," he mumbled as he darted into the dressing room.

"Same thing every night," Jack shut he door.

"Sarah, Sarah!"

"Toby!" Sarah smiled at him. "I'm almost ready; just sit down while I change."

"Kay." She went behind a screen as other people removed make-u or switched outfits. The performance was still audible from their position.

"So, what'd ya think of me tonight?" she asked reaching for clothes.

"Kay," Toby half-heartedly said as he laid his backpack on the dresser and studied the box he had. It was purple with a black ribbon around it. He shook it, and suddenly grabbed it with both hands as the weight increased.

"Hey, what's that Tobe?" Sarah asked coming around the corner.

"Some man gave it to me to give to you."

"Oh, how kind. An admirer..." Sarah muttered but then added with joy, "Or a b-day present!" She reached out for it. Her hand turned over the card and her happy face dropped and paled.

Title: A Birthday to Remember

Author: Britican

Rating:M

Notes: See last chapter...

So, I hope I caught your attention! Read on if you wish, and leave comments please. They help me decide how to shape this story. Thanks again!

Also, it has come to my attention that I had misspelled Sarah's name. I am so sorry. I work late into the night, so I didn't catch that. Bad Charlotte, bad!--slaps hand—So, I will go back and change Chpt. 1. I hope that other than that, you all enjoy!

Thanks again!

Yours truly,

Britican

Disclaimer: Same as the beginning. But…if anyone hears of Jareth being for sell, send him my way…just kidding!

Chapter 2

The writing was so…majestic…with a flowing ink that had written:

Happy Birthday—J"

Her heart didn't beat, it couldn't be. Not after almost ten years. "Toby, what did this man look like?" She inquired touching the silk black ribbon carefully.

"I dunno. He was in the dark vom. He had a British accent."

"So do a few million others here…"

"Aren't you going to open the box?" Toby asked seeing it being shoved into a knap-sack.

"Tonight, at home I will," she bit her lip and escorted Toby out the door and breathed a sigh of relief as her friends met them outside. They all went to dinner and had a good time as the box in the sack was forgotten.

They all sat in a window booth and Sarah laughed as Toby sneezed and a noodle came out of his nose. Sarah was now a part time actress, and a helper in a library. Her hair was waist length and tied back in a plait. "She looked just as she did at fifteen, thought Jareth, just with more maturity in her face, and grace." He leaned back in his shadowed corner and sipped his glass of cherry wine, fitting into the crowd with clothes as subtle as a woman's cough. "That's a good dear…" he purred mostly as his eyes never left her face the remainder of the time she was there.

"Good night Sarah, "Toby leaned over and pecked his sister's cheek.

"'Night Tobe," she waved as she dropped off her brother at his home. Her step-mother and father had purchased a home in a quite community as her father's job had changed, when she was 17. They had managed to stay the rest of the time but Sarah left the house at 18. She roomed with her friend in a flat a few streets away and went to the local college a few years. Now, she lived alone and was in the process of finding a new roommate as her friend had married a week ago.

She sighed as she parked her car and grabbed her knap-sack and unlocked the door. She dragged herself up three flights. Finally fumbling with the keys she welcomed herself home and turned the light switch on. Her place was neat, lightly furnished. Sarah looked at the phone—four missed calls. She hit play and walked over to the sofa, took her shoes off:

"Hey B-day girl, give me a call when you get in, you won't believe---"Nicky, a troupe friend. Sarah got up and shut her blinds.

"Sarah, this is Mr. Ridley, I'm calling about work. I was wondering if you could put in a few extra hours this week—" self explained. Sarah flopped on the sofa.

"Hi. This is a survey on the Tropical Fish Salvation of the Lord—"Oh great, a survey! Whop-de-do…

"This is dad. Give me call later," Sarah sat up but then saw her clock. Almost 11. He'd be in bed now on a workday. Oh well. Some B-day she thought. Then she remembered. She remembered her sack. The purple box with the black ribbon, with the card signed 'J'. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat stayed, her mouth dried.

"It's just a gift by some nameless guy with an initial of 'J'". Sarah picked up the card and felt like a bucket of ice just dumped on her. Her heart told her who it was but her mind decided it like denial and alternative solutions more. She picked up the box and put it back in the sack and went to her room. It was almost midnight.

She lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling. A million emotions and sensations about the mysterious box went through her. What if it was him? He hadn't had anything to do with her for years now, so it couldn't be. Could it? Of course not. Just some guy with a name like James, Jacob, Jerry, Jermoine, Jack, Jeff, Joe, or something different like…Jareth. Of course not! Don't be stupid, how dumb to say, no don't think of something like that. He has and will never talk to you again, he has forgot all about you," Sarah realized she was talking out loud to her self again, a habit that stated around 15. Oh well, why stop now? "Earth to loser! He doesn't even remember you, let alone even like you! It's been a while, but to someone who lives forever, it's not that long is it? My word, I refused him, and destroyed him. He's probably dead. Pretty smooth for a girl who had her dreams offered to her and she rejected them…" Sarah rolled over and said, "Happy Birthday to me…" before crying softly to sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bleep! Bleep! Bleep! "Good morning London! You are listening to  
Radio 1! New York, London, Paris, Munich, everyone listens to humph!  
Pop Music! Today…" Sarah knocked her clock to the floor and threw  
her pillow on it before flopping back onto the bed.  
Sleep. What a beautiful thing. It was 5:15am. The sun was trickling  
faintly into her window, so Sarah pulled her blanket over her head.  
Then she moaned. She had to be at work in an hour. The library had  
ordered a shipment of various new books and then they had to be  
cataloged by Dewy Decimal System. A system she despised.

Sarah tolled out of bed and sat on the floor. She rubbed her eyes  
and stood, stretched and went into the bathroom to shower then  
dress. She grabbed her bag—still with the gift in it—and left.

-----------  
"Open it! Why do you keep putting it off," Jareth moaned as he  
shifted in his window seat gazing at a floating crystal; the same  
one that he had infamously, yet beautifully made crystals turn into  
bubbles. He had bags under those dramatic eyes of green and blue.  
One gloved hand restlessly moved a crystal back and forth as an  
ocean moves a stray boat back and forth in a storm at his side. He  
sat. He had sat there for hours after leaving the restaurant  
watching. Waiting. Hoping. Of course he had given her privacy at  
moments like showering, dressing, etc even if the thought of  
watching was ever so tempting. But, he had manners. He wouldn't do  
that to Sarah, no. Not yet anyhow, he chuckled. "If not know, when?"  
He wondered.  
"Your King-ly-ness?" asked a young goblin. The voice was such that  
it was impossible to tell if it was a male or female. One couldn't  
even tell with the garments it wore or spot of ginger hair on its  
head.

"What now Fliker!" Jareth diverted his eyes to the cause of the  
intrusion.

"Flimer, sir…"

"Flosper, how many times do I give instructions that I am not to be  
disturbed when I am busy! If for any reason this is not important I  
will personally boot you in your rear to the Bog of Eternal Stench  
and then suspend you over it!"

"Sir…it is the d-delegation…they are at the gates…and you haven't  
slept, eaten or even attended any of the preparations for the next  
week…"it stuttered.

"Damn. I forgot, I must have let it slip my mind for a moment. Never  
mind. Tell them I'll see them in two days. Give those rooms and  
such. I have attended to what I need to and my personal dealings  
with myself are of none of your concern. Get out of the way," he  
pushed the goblin to the side as he stood and took one step before  
disappearing as the crystal fell and shattered to the floor.

"Great. More crystal to sweep up. It's becoming more and more of a  
habit lately. What does he think I am, a maid?" the goblin muttered  
as it wondered off in search of a broom.

-----------  
"Sarah, just in time. The delivery truck got here ten minutes ago  
and is still unloading. Come, come inside and settle down your  
stuff," Mr. Ridley waved her through the glass doors into the  
building. "Set your stuff on the counter. Pat and John still haven't  
arrived yet," he looked at Sarah. "Darling, what's wrong? Your eyes  
are puffy. Wasn't it your birthday yesterday?"  
"Yes, and it's nothing," she lied and set her bag on the counter.  
Mr. Ridley was about to ask something more but then John and Pat  
came in.

"Have no fear! The fun is here!" shouted Pat, which was her morning  
routine as she skipped into the building. She was around earlier 20  
something and as vibrant as the sun. Her pink hair, leather knee  
high boots, and punk top with fishnets and leather skirt made Sarah  
always wonder at why Mr. Ridley hired her to work in the library.  
John was her opposite. He was shy, neat and always freshly shaven,  
5o'clock shadow was nonexistent with him. Sarah used to imagine that  
in his backpack he carried three spare razors that he used whenever  
he felt one hair grow on his chin.

"Throw your stuff down and come along. This will take about two  
hours and then we can get back to our normal glamour of gracing the  
aisle and counters with our amazing book worm skills!" Mr. Ridley  
tried to be funny. John stared at him and tossed his bag over the  
counter.

Pat snorted and said, "And what then? I'll use my amazing super  
power of slugging over pages to complete the quest of the long lost  
over due book that is just as mystifying as the Holy Grail, but has  
not been seen for decades? I heard that the bounty on that is so  
great that the savior of it gets a lump sum of ten pounds…" this  
cracked a smile on John's face and Sarah rolled her eyes. Needless  
to say, the next two hours were fun with company but also boring  
when alone.

After two hours…

Sarah and Pat were at the counter checking-in books that were  
dropped off and putting them in a cart to later push off to their  
shelf. This was an enormous library. The shelves were almost as tall  
as the ceiling; which were high because this was an old abandoned  
church. It had almost 40 shelves, all with two sliding ladders. Some  
books here were so old that dust was a permanent fixture on them for  
decades and their print almost disappearing.

"So, Sarah. How was your birthday? Have any fun?" Pat asked as she  
put her bag next to Sarah's open bag on the counter, she was digging  
in it looking for some lip gloss.

"It was alright. Went to eat out with some friends. Then home,"  
Sarah was on the computer, half paying attention.

"Whatcha get?" Pat found it and applied it.

"Some gift cards, cards, clothes, stuff."

"Anything else? Is that all?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Oh, well then, you can add my card and stuff to the collection,"  
she smiled proud to contribute. She shoved her hand back in her bag  
and then snagged a card out with another gift card but her bag then  
knocked Sarah's over the counter, spilling its contents.

"Oh, sorry love! I'll get that!" She leapt over the counter in such  
a way that Mr. Ridley came out of his office to yell at her.

"Pat, I got it. No, it's all right," she gasped as the box was now  
in Pat's hands.

"You have one more gift looks like! Open it for me, dear. It's so  
pretty! And look at the card…" Pat was fascinated. Mr. Ridley  
stopped also in front of them and helped pick up the mess muttering  
at Pat for her indecency.

"Um, I was going to open this at a later time."

"A whole day after your birthday. Whose it from?"

"I dunno."

"Go on."

"Yeah, let's see what's in such an unusual box," Mr. Ridley was now  
also fascinated. The box was nothing like he had ever seen before.  
All three sat on the ground. John was nearby watching from a ladder.

"Umm, alright then," Sarah muttered fingering the ribbon. She wasn't  
sure as to why she was so easily persuaded into opening the box now.  
It was most definitely from him. It had to be. The black ribbon was  
like velvet, the purple was royal. She untied the ribbon and removed  
the purple paper. The box was a metal engraved thing, with designs  
of trees, fairies, goblins, and such all over. Sarah's hand lightly  
roamed over it. The other people had long since existed to Sarah but  
they were there, telling her to open it. They had never seen  
something like this before. Her slightly opened lips let out a sharp  
intake of air as her fingers pulled away from the latch. It was  
encrusted with an emblem that could not at all be anyone else's than  
the Goblin King. It bore a shield, with a two lines. One across the  
field horizontal and another vertical. It was all in sliver, like  
the box. The top right half of the shield bore an owl, and the  
bottom right a labyrinth design. The left top the letters GK and the  
remaining a crystal ball in a hand.

Sarah opened the box and hesitantly let her eyes fall onto another  
letter sitting in more black velvet. This was sealed with the same  
emblem. As she picked it up however, something glittered beneath it  
tucked into the velvet. She touched it and picked it up. It was a  
silver ring. It too had the emblem on it.

"Oh, my! That's a…a signet ring! Sign of the well to do, very rare  
to find real ones now a days. Mostly made to imitate the original  
ones of the Medieval times…" Mr. Ridley's voice fell.

"My Sarah, you got lucky this time. What does the letter say?" Pat  
asked. John was behind her now nodding. Sarah's eyes fell to her  
hand, trembling and pale with the letter. A red seal with the  
imprint of the signet ring it looked like sealed the letter. One  
part of her wanted to know what it said, another wanted to ask why  
after all this time, another said screw it after all this time, and  
another said my darling, he hasn't forgotten me. Is this a cruel  
joke, what is the ring, what does it mean, why now, why, why, why?  
Her mind raced, screamed, cried and wanted everyone to let her be to  
read in solitude.

"I'm going to go now on break Mr. Ridley," Sarah stood and shut the  
box, grabbing her bag and running out the door. She continued to run  
with the silver box in her hands, her eyes blurred, her heart  
pounding. She turned and collapsed into an ally, next to a rubbish  
skip and let her back slide down the wall, never letting her eyes  
off of the box. The box which held a letter and a ring.


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah rubbed her eyes and sniffed. Her trembling fingers broke the red wax seal and the letter flapped out of her hands and dangled in front of her in the air; it snapped itself opened and the letters in blue ink started forming before Sarah's eyes elaborately scrawled as she read word for word.

_My Dear Sarah,_

_You waited too long to read this letter and I'm afraid that the message originally contained no longer exists. Trust you to wait so long…_

Sarah's heart was pounding as she watched the possessed parchment. She could perfectly imagine the voice that would accompany the writing.

_Anyway, happy birthday. As a treat, I desire you to grace my presence on your belated, special day. I believe a few of your friends from your previous visit are anxious to see you again. I will pick you up shortly. _

_Till then, _

_Jareth, Goblin King, Lord of the Underground and Member of the Higher Order_

_P.S. _

_Put the ring on. _

The letter refolded itself and fell into Sarah's lap. Sarah tossed the letter far away as possible from her as such a light thing can fly. She then looked at the signet ring. It was beautiful with the silver strong and worn. It was feminine and filigree with the same symbol as the seal. A stamp or something similar must have been pressed to the waxed.

Sarah hoped it wasn't a matching ring.

As she was turning the ring over and over, pondering what to do, whether to go home or not, a bell like tingling noise caught her attention and she looked back further into the alley and saw a crystal ball bouncing towards her.

"No! No! He can't be here! No way!" Sarah used the wall behind her to try to stand up quickly but her foot slipped in the dampness and she failed out about to land on the hard cement under her.

But she didn't hit the ground.

She was suspended in the air so that she was almost horizontal to the ground, looking up at the stairway above her. She had perfect sight of the iron cast balcony above her and before she could even utter a scream, the figure on that balcony that had been leaning over observing everything had jumped off of it, landed beside the woman and placed a long, slender gloved finger to her lips.

Sarah wasn't able to make a noise. Her eyes could only see the man's torso and higher. He was dressed as a man, with short blonde hair, and a long trench coat. He had a white poet's shirt and black trousers with boots, but for such a queer looking fellow, he pulled it off splendidly.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. It's been a while. Yes? Well," he backed up slightly, taking in her form. "I must say, age ages you very well."

Sarah couldn't say the same for him. He didn't look any older. A fine sheen of sweat was starting to form above his brow and his upper lip. He looked slightly shaken as well. All in all, he was still intimidating and she couldn't speak; he must have done something with that cursed magic of his.

At least now she believed that whatever happened as a child, it was not her over active imagination.

"Enough of that. You were a bad girl for not opening up my gift sooner. That letter would have told you that I am offering you an opportunity to return to the Labyrinth for a very special occasion: _my birthday_. You see, these royal functions and such are quite boring and there's going to be this ball," Jareth started fiddling with gloves and looking away from her, "and I need an escort with me. I think that you would do just fine and all. So, I'll give you the rest of the day to wrap up whatever you have to do and will collect you in the morning. I promise that no harm will come to you." Jareth looked back at her and rubbed his fingers down her neck. Sarah was trembling inside.

"What a very pretty neck you have Sarah. I would wear that ring as soon as I leave you, goodbye my dear. Expect me tomorrow."

As soon as he stepped away Sarah fell to the ground and was swinging her arms to punch Jareth but he was gone. All that was left was his laughing in the air reverberating off the stone walls. Sarah groaned, "God! I hate that man!"

_What does he mean he's picking me up and taking me back with him for his birthday? I'm not going anywhere with him. He's got another thing coming. A party? Blah! I don't do socials. And there's no way I'm sitting with a bunch of smelly goblins, slobbering over their food, to through his highness a party. What's he been doing all these past years? He's done fine without me and can continue to do so as long as he lives. _

_What was that about my neck anyways? Sod the ring. There's no way I'm wearing it. Don't think I forgot about that peach! Even though it had a nice trippy side effect..._

She collected her items and went towards her home. She never put the ring on.

_______

A/N: I hope to update sooner perhaps bi-weekly, and make the following chapters longer. The first posting on here was the first 3 chapters so this was the 4th chapter. I hope you like it. I am also posting soon the next chapter of my other story for SS/HG, Hard to Let Go as soon as my beta resends it. I have the next 3 chapters of that ready to go once I send them to her--so, instead of waiting around for this to update, check out that story, it's got a great length to it, still rolling on and I think interesting. This will not be neglected though, so have no fear.

Thanks for the reviews and keep reading!

Britican


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 5

Jareth was not in a merry mood. He felt extremely weak and ill; his body was cold. For the life of him he could only remember falling ill twice in his life, and both times they involved him being around iron.

He racked his brains and then recalled he had been watching Sarah on an iron balcony. How could he have been so stupid—it would take days of resting to recover his magical stores and he didn't have that. In the morning he would have to collect Sarah, unless he sent someone else to fetch her for him.

He could do that, but it would have to be someone trustworthy and he didn't feel secure entrusting anyone with his…yes; well…he didn't want to allow his brain to travel that far in this state.

"Flobby!" Jareth shouted. He waited till that weird, sexless goblin came in. "Go find the Captain of the Guard and have him meet me in my study. _Immediately_. He must not dally any or else, tell him that. It's a matter of life and eternal damnation. Go," he waved to the red tufted goblin who scurried out of the room.

Jareth rose out of bed, flipped his wrist to be attired in fresh clothes and went into his now clean throne room. He had countless Princesses, Queens, Duchesses, Countesses and other nobilities from the other Kingdoms to welcome to a stay at his castle.

He just hoped he wouldn't pass out from exhaustion.

* * *

Sarah was exhausted as she just went to sleep when she got home, expecting everything to have been a very bad dream. However, she had quite a rude awakening:

Sir Didyimus had just shoved her out of bed and she was now looking up at him from the floor. He was staring down at her from her bed.

"My lady? I beg your pardon, but my stead just leapt up here and in his haste, budged you to your current location. I trust you are not hurt?"

"I don't think so," Sarah rubbed her shoulder where it had crashed on the ground. She saw that Lancelot was trying to cover his face with his paws. "Wow, I was thinking that this whole thinkg was just fake again, seeing Jareth yesterday and now you guys. It's the real deal. Aw, Lancelot, you didn't mean it," she rose and rubbed the dog's ear and it started licking her palms happily.

"Lady Sarah, we are here to escort you on his Majesty's orders. Also, he made requests that you are to wear his gift as soon as you are in the Underground."

"What is with that ring? He's making such a big deal about it," Sarah started walking off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"My Lady? He hasn't told you?" The guard jumped over to the door and lowered his hat and bowed towards Sarah.

"No. What are you doing here if they are connected?"

"Rumors are my lady, that His Highness is required by law to invite all eligible ladies to his ball being held in his honour for his birthday. This year is the year he is to be required to enter into a marriage—"

"What?" Sarah screeched.

"His gift is a sign that you would be off limits—not a courtesan or anything and that—"

"He's marking me as his property?" Sarah stormed over to the little dog.

"I wouldn't say quite—"

"He is, isn't he? Oh my God—there is no way I'm going to go around as his! He has to marry? Is this a joke? Who would marry such an arrogant, twisted--ugh!" Her vocabulary failed her in her temper. She wouldn't admit to anyone ever, not even her conscious self that as a young girl the Goblin King had frequented her dreams, making her feel unlike any other has just by his presence in memory. Then eventually memories became hazy and she, as she aged, invented new fantasies using him as some brooding Bryonic hero or such and even though she had never done anything yet with a man--she had yet to even have her first kiss--she knew the basics from reading, gossip and t.v. and somehow, her subconciousness more than made up for experiences in her dreams and practicals on said king. There was just something electrical about that man, and even though last night was a dreamless night, she had no doubt she know had enough fodder of him to last many years more with that last refreshing visit.

"That's quite understandable, my lady, however, I believe this is for your protection, as with his seal, you are untouchable—goblins aren't the only beings in the castle anymore—"

"Nope! Tell him, I'm not going. I didn't get an invite, he's demanding me! He just shows up out of the blue, so no—" Sarah was not listening in her little ranting.

"You actually did have one, but it expired in that letter so his majesty came down himself. He's done that for no one else in the Kingdoms--"

"Agh! That man is beyond frustrating! I'm not going!"

"Unfortunately, my lady, I give you no option. Your presence is required, and I cannot leave until you return with us."

"Why? Why is my presence required? If I come along, I got more than one thing to say to that ungrateful, demented, full of himself…" Sarah started muttering and slammed the bathroom door to get dressed.

* * *

Jareth was resting in bed. He was feeling slightly better, he had to admit, neglecting his duties such as greeting his suitors and whatnots. If he hadn't been about to enter his obligatory marrying age, there would be no doubt that this would be a smashing birthday full of party guests and courteasans, prostitutes and all sinful delights running rampant around him, keeping his mind off of finding a queen.

His father had told him it didn't matter who she was to be as long as an heir was produced, love would follow.

His mother told him he would know when he found her. She should challenge, encourage, be fresh and refreshing. Most of all, spirited. And she also said, "Don't listen to your father". He always listened to his mother.

He also knew when his heart told him that he had found her, even though she wasn't of age in either world, he would wait and let her mature in peace, without him watching and waiting. But he was waiting, and trying to forget her. That didn't happen as her memory was insistent, and everytime he had a runner in the Labyrinth, they would just whine, or agree for him to take the child. There was either no challenge, no fighting, no pleading to run it, or there was but hardly anyone talked to Hoggle, or couldn't even get in the Labyrinth. Those who did, well, they never could get further than the other walls.

She was everything his mother said she would be, and then more. Much more. For one, she wasn't fae. That was a problem. As a mortal, she would age faster than him and die. Only once was there ever a human mortal that lived in the Middle Kingdom, but it was a male who had fallen in love with a Succubus. He died. That was all he could find in literature on that. It was over 1000 human years ago.

Slightly more recently, in Jareth's own family, actually, (after Sarah's dissapointing victory and departure and Jareth's self-induced depression/seclusion) he had found he had had a distant and many generations ago had an uncle who had fallen in love with a mortal girl in the Mediterrean. He had found a way to convert himself into a mortal and lived out the rest of his days with her and died.

Jareth wasn't too keen on the idea of either him or Sarah dying. No one should die if they could avoid it. It was just a waste.

But, when his depression was worsening, he was thinking what would be life without the one you loved. Or, even if you told them they loved you, and you were together and she was dying, how could he just let her? He could die himself just thinking of her dead.

That was when he had the brillient idea.

He would convert her to be like him: Sarah Williams was to become Fae.

Of course, he had yet to tell her. He had yet to tell her his feeling for her, that he wanted to marry her, that she was to be his intended and that she would be his Queen of the Underground and of his heart and that...well...she might not take to the conversion part very well, but she would come around.

No one ever said "no" to him.

No one.

No one... but Sarah Williams.

He hoped she wouldn't say no to him now she had time to grow up. He was offering her everything and more. Eternal life with him, even if they seperated, he would be glad she was out there, somewhere living. When a Fae really fell in love, they loved for life. And life for them was eternity. And Jareth, though he wouldn't admit it to himself out loud nor in his mind, believed that something was there that was just lacking with all the rest. For years now, she was always just on the horizons of his thoughts.

Sure, he could play around with others, but it was for pleasure, fun. Nothing was like the addiction love was, it was like a disease to him and he couldn't quite tame it until he had the right drug.

Jareth just had to find a way to convert Sarah and he was hoping the High Courts would present a way how to do it once it became official of Sarah as his intended. It was either they agreed, or Jareth would lose his kingdom if he didn't give her up. Niether seemed like viable options for him.

Jareth, still in bed, conjured a crystal, dancing it around his hands before peeking at the guests already invading his castle.

Of course, the Vampires from the Far Kingdoms were early. They arrived last night. They would be the most closely watched as they were forbidden to feed in their world by the Courts. They did their hunting in the Upper World of Earth and if they smelled Sarah, here, they might be able to abstain themselves. Or, if she returned to Earth, out of Jareth's reach (he could only make so many trips before his magic drained with running the Labyrinth and such) she could be in danger if they followed her.

Then there were the witches. Only a few of them were present, the rest would arrive much later. Some were beautiful, others hag like. There were all sorts attending his ball. Some other quests were fairies, selkies (he had no idea how that relationship would work out truthfully, but he was good at hiding things), giantesses (he just didn't want to go there), more vampiresses (Sarah better put that damn ring on or else hell would be paid if she was bitten), witches, elves, sirens...the list went on and on and the castle was still being prepared for the party. It was to be a masquerade--he grinned--Sarah would just _love_ that.

And then Jareth's parents were coming...oh, did he have news to tell them. He was just sure his father would be open to his unrequited love interest.

_Sarah, my dear, will this all turn out to be a piece of cake?_

The crystal shattered on the bed post turning into a breath of golden glitter that disappeared before it fell on the comforter.


	4. Chapter 4

It was more than about time that Jareth started to make an appearance, so he dressed himself, asking the servants (he had had his goblin staff hire local Fae villagers, which had serviced him quite well for many years as goblin townies made a terrible muck of things when he wanted to keep things clean) to step outside as he wanted to feel his fingers dance across his massive wardrobe, testing and rubbing against the various fineries and admire his clothes on him without that self degrading conscious of his feeding him wicked thoughts of how prideful and vain he was being. What the staff saw His Majesty do just might end up floating on the air about the town, being volleyed about by lashing tongues looking for any reason to say "Yes, see there is why we do not have an heir to the throne yet! Our King is more in love with himself than his people!" and then it could end up in those dreadful gossip papers. No, it just wouldn't do.

He really didn't want to go through with that again. Not like after his last engagement to the Countess of Idora over ten years ago. It had ended shortly before Jareth had met Sarah. His and the Countess' parents had arranged the marriage while they were children, but the Countess, being a mischievous, devious woman of her own mind, just repulsed Jareth. Well, if he was honest to himself, he didn't care much for her self-centered egotistical tricks. She had accused Jareth of not paying enough homage to her, and what not, and he wasn't, if they were to be married in slightly more than ten years time, why should he start on something he would bore of before he even officially began the courting, dreading it as he did? So, she had started to have an affair, flaunting the other suitor in front of the public who started rumors, slanderous as they were that Jareth (Casanova of his period) wasn't good enough to satisfy her.

He hadn't even touched the wrench.

She was supposed to be pure for him as a bride in waiting. Evidently she misunderstood the marriage contract, as three months before Jareth laid eyes on Sarah, the Countess of Idora was trying to hide the expanding abdomen of hers behind frills and layered skirts. Rumors of that sort don't stay hidden very long and Jareth demanded to know if there was an ounce of truth behind them and there was more like tons.

It was over before Jareth could flick his wrist and he never felt more relief than at that moment in his life. He had a few more years to fulfill his obligation to his country by marrying. And then in a few hundred years to produce an heir. He wasn't interested in settling down at all as he hadn't found _her_ yet, and really was starting to believe _she_ wasn't anywhere to be found.

But then Jareth hadn't been looking in the right world.

After a dry spell of no brats to take back to his world (which would turn into Fae, not goblins--this only worked on young children who still had to develop their magic or it was lost after the age of eight), she got the ball rolling by calling for him, granted, she didn't believe him to exist, and had no idea about what she got herself into—but that was fate.

And when Jareth laid eyes on her, it was all he could do to play along to her expectations and more, giving her exactly what she asked for and more—he could taste her spirit and her imagination—he could smell her dedication and integrity—he could see her loyalty and nobility. She was a peasant in her world, but she was well bred, a descendent of some ancient nobles from long ago, with a touch of magic in her that was long suppressed and buried in her veins to give her he could sense it. He didn't know why it wasn't completely drained like every mortal in her world, it had to be her imagination and dreaming, or something. Even the Underground sensed it, which is probably why it helped her at all; an unfair advantage, thought Jareth.

When he first saw her, watching her as an owl as he had been flying between worlds, he had chanced upon her reading a novella paralleling their worlds and it was strange, with the rarity of that tale about and that she would have it. He had racked his brain trying to find how that was possible but nothing came of it. Where did such a book even come from? He wondered if someone long ago had written it and then left it in the mortal world. Something to look into later.

It was destiny and she was destined to be his, and his her, and he would move the stars in heaven for her to be his queen and be with him to the end of time.

But, as heavy as that was, he wasn't going to tell her just yet. Charades and masquerades must decorate this pantomime and if she couldn't figure it out through his actions, well, she would soon enough.

Jareth settled on a solid black ensemble and as he sat on the edge of his bed, tucking his pant legs into his riding boots, a slight tapping echoed into his room from his door.

"Yes?" he called out; he felt much rejuvenated. The large oak doors cracked open and a young messenger goblin bounced towards him. He was just a mere boy in goblin years, Jareth had taken care of him as a young orphan in the royal orphanage as his parents had both been killed as they had enlisted in the Mine Rebellion in the distance land of Urio as they were immigrants to this country. It was this young boy who as a child pulled the King's hair because he wanted him to stay and read to him, and so Jareth sat back down and had him on his lap as he read. The Goblin King was well known as being a supporter of goblin rights, but many kingdoms were racist to their species and exploited them in the mines and cheap labor. It was a family tradition of being fair to brother species. Jareth wouldn't go so far as to marry one, but he respected them.

"What is it boy?" Jareth held his other boot in his fingers, dangling it as he asked.

The goblin rocked on his heels with a huge grin on his face as he then said, "Your Gobliness—she's here! She's returned—"

"Make yourself clear—"

"Sarah! The one who after she left—you were all depressed and wouldn't come out of your room and—"

"That's enough," Jareth almost growled. He put on his other boot and wondered why in heavens he had taken pity on this intelligent goblin and paid for his tuition for schooling. Other goblins went on fine, their limited vocabulary serving his purposes fine, not rambling on about things they don't know. There was a public village and private school the goblins could attend if they wanted to, but schooling among that race hadn't taken off very popularly yet, and on suprise visits, it was rather a party house among the villagers then a house of education. Jareth then chose to put the boy into the private one, where nobles of all races attended as well.

An educated mind led to dangerous thoughts. He didn't need reminding about that very dark period in his life.

"We do not want to see her. She is not to be brought forth to us unless we request her presence, and she is not allowed to approach us whenever she feels like it without our prior approval and she is not to address myself as Jareth, but as your Majesty, Highness, whatnot. Understood? We do not care right now she is here. Thank you, we appreciate your care for our well being." Jareth dropped into his formal kingdom addressings as he rose and looked down at the goblin boy. He nodded and trotted off.

Jareth's heart was racing and he felt his forehead slightly glisten. She had returned to the Labyrinth sooner than he thought, and she was now in the same world as him, breathing the air he breathed…she was so close yet so unattainable. He had thought it would have taken longer. He had to play this game now, and she would win once more. He would see to that. With all these dangers lurking around the castle that wasn't here previously, she would be safe as long as she followed the instructions that would appear on her vanity in a letter he had ordered delivered and with his ring, she was off limits to being eaten as a tempestuous dessert to dinner. However, that was an idea Jareth chose to store away for later…he could think of a few of his favorite delicacies that would suit her well. Smirking Jareth slipped on his dark studded jacket and sauntered out of his bedroom. He had his first official function to oversee for tonight and make a few diplomatic hellos and such. Tonight was the night of nights the games would begin, with the loser buggering off to wherever they came from.

It was also the night before each girl would get to spend a night with the King and that could be the end of a woman's career of respectability, being with Jareth's reputation of being beastly. Really, he wasn't going to object to it, but his stamina was longer than most he knew and he could go at it all night. Sometimes one could hear his conquest's screams from inside of the Labyrinth, or so the rumors were. Jareth wouldn't know from his position. But his waiting list of court courtesans was never lacking. That couldn't be a bad sign. Depending on his mood, if one was to bring along a friend, they would get bumped up to the top.

It was good to be the King. But right now though, nothing was satisfying his thirst for that one person who could crush his heart just with a glance.

And now she had returned. And he believed, if he knew she would be his once and for all, he wouldn't dare look at another woman for fear of losing her. He had had lifetimes of messing around, and now it was time to get down to business.

* * *

Sarah had returned to the Labyrinth a different way than she had before. This time, when she opened her front door with Sir Didymus, the row of flats she busy street she would step out onto was gone and replaced with what appeared to be a market square. The housing and bustle of life was not like the sector she and Ludo had destroyed with stones. The housing was flint and brick, some the size that seem to be made for creatures her height, and others for goblins.

The market was buzzing with clamor of all sorts. There were what looked like men and women scurrying about in mismatched clothing and elaborate outfits; goblins jumping onto carts and haggling with furry bird people; some thundering things were pushing through slowly as they towered above everyone's heads; there were so many Sarah couldn't take it all in at once. The air caressed her nose with spices covering the smell of sweat and fruits and vegetables and roasted nuts and smaller animals dangling from the rafters of store fronts.

"This is the central market square," Sir Didymus walked off. Sarah had to trot after him. "This is where His Royal Majesty's castle purchases some of their food. Other items are imported and some are even taken from the Royal Gardens…'

"Royal Gardens? As in that monstrous maze of his?"

"Of course not Milady…what you saw was the more unfortunate part of the kingdom, the business end of it if you will."

"Humph!" She let out.

"We are more civilized than that would present to the world—"

Sarah cut him off, "Are you on his payroll?"

"Yes, I am, as I was before."

"Should have realized," she muttered. At that moment as small black and silver carriage being pulled by two black stallions and a goblin at the reigns slowed down beside them. The door sprung open and Sir Didymus bowed her in first. Sarah stuck her head in cautiously at first, dreading the idea that blond haired devil/angel might be in there. He wasn't so she climbed in and then the door shut.

Sarah spun around to look if Sir Didymus had got in, she hadn't heard him, and he wasn't. Sarah started shouting and pounding on the door as there was no handles anywhere in sight and she looked out the small back window and saw that the carriage had started moving again, and Sir Didymus waved goodbye to her. Sarah was pounding the window but it wouldn't crack any. When the village was behind her and nothing but country was left, Sarah quieted down and just watched the forest rush by and tried to listen to the horses but it seemed that the buggy was sound proof because she couldn't hear anything, and doubted that they heard her.

Sarah started fiddling with the ring around her pointer finger and she looked at it, wondering if what Sir Didymus had told her was true. She removed the ring and slowly slid it on her left ring finger and turned it this way and that in the light. It was a beautiful ring, passable as a marriage band, but it wasn't the same as being engaged or anything.

Sarah had notions of romance which were outdated and more childish. She hoped for a man to bend down on a knee and propose to her. She wanted him to hold her on a pedestal above the world and treasure her and she would him—she dreamed…

Yes, she dreamed of everything that He had once told her. Just, as a mere girl on the verge of womanhood, she hadn't known what she was offered, not understood it, and even in the circumstances, doubted she would have ever accepted his offer. But, that was what she was now waiting for, and if there might be a slight chance he would offer it again (though she doubted it highly) she might take it, she hadn't had any better offers and her days were dwindling down in the marketable age range of young brides. But, if she had slammed his offer back into his face, why would he offer it to her again if many other rich, royal and noble women were trying to catch his eye?

Then that horrible seed of humiliation and doubt took root in her brain.

He was going to rub it all in her face, of what she could have had. She was going to see him love woman beautiful and rich in front of her, flaunting how happy he was now.

Sarah bit back tears. She would not show him that. He would not delight in her sorrow.

Sarah rocked her head in her hands and felt the niggling sensation of a migraine tiptoeing closer. She was going to be in for a rough night.

The carriage stopped and the door sprung open again. Sarah climbed out of her cell and looked up at the long, elaborate staircase leading up to a very beautiful and different Goblin Castle. "This must be the front end…" she said to herself as the building did not look anything like her last visit.

"There had been renovations since your last visit, Lady Sarah." A goblin said beside her. Sarah looked down and saw it was a scrawny thing.

"How do you know my name?" she asked it.

"There isn't a goblin in this kingdom who doesn't know who you is," it giggled. "You are the only one to defeat His Highness ever. The kingdom was rainy for a whole month and His Highness never left his room for two weeks and then for a month stayed in the castle and wouldn't eat…and then when he did, the affairs of the castle were neglected. About a year later, one day, he was back to normal and then started ordering renovations on the place and hired a bunch of my kinfolk and unemployment went down, and then…" the goblin went on and on, as he walked up the stairs. Sarah followed listening, surprised that such a creature could talk as a proper person. Apparently the education system had improved as well, she thought.

"So, what, am I now like the local celebrity?"

"No! But we wouldn't mind you to be our next monarch—"

"Great, so now I have my own fan club." Sarah followed him up, past some armed guards and through the foray and down many hallways. She could hear many people around but not one person showed up for her to see. "Where is everyone?" Sarah asked.

"The other suitors are most likely preparing for the official supper and opening ball being hosted by His Majesty. That will be tonight. I hope you stay for the ball, it will be very nice. Here we are," he stopped in front of what had to be her new bedroom. He opened the door and inside was basic necessities, such as a bed, vanity and chair, desk, bookcase (with no books) and a closet. "We have hired more staff for this event, in a few moments I'll have sent down your own servant who will help you with dressing and in the manners of the court."

As Sarah turned around to say that won't be necessary, he was already gone. The thought died on her tongue as she surveyed the room in wonder and then stood in the long hallway looking up and down the hall full of mirrors and portraits of many other Fae which looked similar to Jareth. All the doors on her floor with shut. Sarah started wondering up the hallway and found a spiral staircase that took her up several landings. This gave out to another hallway, without mirrors but walls full of tapestries and weaponry. It had a darker aura about it and more masculinity that pulsed through her.

Sarah started walking down the hallway, not seeing any doors or windows and wondered where this would take her and it stretched to her left and right as well. Then, Sarah had the idea to move aside one of the tapestries as it seemed the slightest breeze was moving one on the floor. She moved it and found that a pathway was behind it. Sarah, being Sarah, remembered that nothing is as it appears in the Labyrinth and with a deep breath went behind the tapestry and found herself in a goblin guarded area.

"Halt!" Two guards echoed together.

"Oh, sorry. Where am I?"She ventured forth.

"His Highness' private study," one barked back. "Leave!" The other added. Sarah saw then that they were standing in front of an intricately decorated door and it was shut. Perhaps Jareth was in there.

Sarah backed out and went down the other side of the hallway, checking every now and then behind other hallways, but the hallway turned off and at the very end of it, Sarah more guards. She headed down towards them.

Jareth had returned to his chambers from his study as he had forgotten some papers and was about to leave when he heard the guards outside bark out orders for someone what business they had here, and ordered them to leave as ordered by him. Jareth crept to his door and whisked a crystal into existence, then braced himself against the door as he saw her. Sarah had found herself, clean and tidy outside his door and was now retreating from his crystal down the hall.

He wanted to go out and welcome her, take her in his chambers now, but backed away from her retreating form. She was to wait. That nosy, wondering chit was a bundle of trouble. No matter. He knew she was safe in here. She would go back to her room and he would see her tonight.

* * *

Sarah had found her way back to her room and found that a person was in there waiting. She believed she looked like a maid, neat and tidy. When Sarah had opened the door, the woman, about Sarah's age smiled at her and said "Hello."

"Hello…Who are you?" Sarah left the bedroom door open just in case this wasn't the servant that was meant to be sent to her.

"My name is Apepi, I was given to you for the duration of your visit in the Underground. I am a Fae, like His Highness, and thus was chosen as a respectable servant to serve the mortal."

"Fae? Like a fairy? With wings and such?" Sarah was perplexed: Jareth had no wings—but then he could turn into an owl, and that wings…and that fairy that bit her had loads of glitter…

"Not fairy, no. They are different. We are the ancient race descended from the consummation of Angels and Man long, long ago. We have both traits of both species, and yet, we evolved into our own breed over time. That is something we never run out of: time."

"And Jareth—your King—is this?"

"Yes."

"And where does the glitter come from?"

"That is just excess magic or something he adds for effect. As long as I've known him, he prefers the dramatic."

"Can you do that crystal thing?"

"No. Some of us possess talents in other areas. That is why he is a King and I, nothing more than a lowly serving maid."

Sarah bit her lip. "How long have you known him?"

"Too long. Our time and your time are different."

"How do you know I'm not one of you?" Sarah backed up a bit.

"Well, besides the questions, mind," she leaned in a bit closer, "you smell different."

Sarah looked affronted. "I do not smell!" She had had a shower before arriving here, with strawberry scented shower gel. She thought it smelt nice.

"I don't mean to say you smell horrible, forgive me. But, you smell mortal. We immortals have keener senses, and you smell different, otherworldly. Perhaps that is why His Highness is attracted to you. He gets bored easily, and as you are different, and won't last long, he doesn't have to invest much."

"Jar—His Highness—is by far not att—" She was silenced by Apepi's raised hand and felt her temperature starting to raise at this outspoken thing.

"You bear his ring. Therefore, you bear his favor, and at a time like this, it must mean something more than just favor. Lust? If I am not mistaken, you are the one, and only, among mortals and immortals to successfully beat him at his own game, well within the time limit. I heard he had to try to shorten and cheat you out of a few hours."

Sarah was rather not sure how to talk to this Fae woman. She was confusing and rather forward and horrible. Choosing to remain silent, battling her thoughts, Apepi just grinned, with a wicked smirk.

"Forgive me Lady Sarah Williams. My tongue rather likes to run a bit. It's not often I come to court to help a fellow female in need of help to seduce a male."

"I'm not seducing—"

"Shhh….I know all about what His Highness likes. I've known him for a very long time," she flicked her fingers and the door closed. "Now then, tonight you have a dinner to attend to, followed by a masquerade. You must not be tempted by anyone there, or you will fall out of favor and be sent home. Of course, you might see His Highness frolicking about, but as with males, it's more encouraged unless, as a female, you're a harlot. We have many here tonight just for that—so watch out. They tend to like both sexes."

"Yes, we have in my world too."

"It's more of a natural Fae instinct, we live for pleasure, like a hedonist," Apepi had come closer to Sarah and was rubbing her elegant, soft hands up and down Sarah's arms as she was speaking. Sarah found herself with her eyes closed, enjoying the contact and lulling into Apepi's talk. "You see, we are gifted in the gift of love, pleasure, sensual things. There is nothing more beatiful than the flesh, more natural than the body, and to hide it, be ashamed of it, that is the sin..._Utip mygio leimsa fardar oplik_..._Polib fardar juto..."_ Her voice got quieter.

"See how easy I have you now," Apepi whispered against Sarah's ear. Sarah's eyelids flew open and she backed away slowly against the door. Apepi was chuckling.

"Now you know what to look out for. Come, we must dress and prepare you for dinner, and I'll let you in on a few pointers."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter contains adult situation content! You have been warned, so if you are not old enough to read or do not like such things, go find another fic to read for a bit and come back for another chapter later. Thank you. You have been warned~this is the longest chapter thus far~

* * *

Apepi had led Sarah in the appropriate direction for the dinner. She said to go down the large stairwell and if she couldn't find the right door to enter, one of the many footmen around the place would show her. But that was unnecessary as the dining room had to French doors which were open completely and Sarah found herself in a mob of mostly female and few male beings vying to enter at once. Evidently, as Sarah was listening to various bickering, others thought they should be allowed to enter before others.

As Sarah approached closer, being the last person, at the end of the somewhat line, lingering in the back so as not to cause a fuss as she was unacquainted with everyone, she caught the eye of one very attractive male. He looked Fae. For all the light Jareth was, he was dark. When Sarah looked at him, she had locked eyes with him, and in those few seconds of contact she felt her heart ping and her breath hitch. Her heart felt as if someone had pricked it with a pin and it had popped, her arm hairs were prickling and her tongue felt leaden. Sarah looked straight to the ground to avoid catching his eyes anymore, already feeling ashamed of herself as she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

That strange Fae had black hair with red streaking, a rouge eye shadow, and a finely chiseled face. His cheek bones were prominent, and his lips were arched slightly at the corner as if his partner had told him something amusing. He wore a black outfit with red piping and threads which weaved in and out of his jacket, with cuffs that folded back to his mid forearm. His pants…Sarah went straight down to glance at his feet, as the pants were similar to something Jareth wore. His feet were dressed in boots, similar to what she would see in pirate films. They were a dark brownish red, freshly polished and gleaming.

When Sarah decided it was safe to look up again as the line was pressing forward, that strange Fae was standing in front of her. He must have left whoever had been talking to, to talk to her, and now several people around them were looking at Sarah.

Sarah was about to say something when that Fae stuck out his hand expecting Sarah's. Sarah placed hers in his, and he bowed lowly over her hand, and Sarah would have sworn that he had inhaled deeply her scent. He very quickly had turned her hand over and saw the ring on that hand, before letting a light kiss fall on it.

"It would be a great pleasure to learn such a captivating woman's name," he said over her hand, lightly rubbing his thumb on her hand. Sarah yanked her hand back and the Fae laughed. Then Sarah felt fear. Jareth had funny teeth, yes, but this one had teeth which were sharper, pointy, almost like they had been filed.

"My father told me not to talk to strangers," she softly said, stiffening.

"Well, my dear, we are to become well acquainted with everyone soon. As this is a social event, of only the most elite, I swear that it would behoove you to set your sights on other eligible bachelors. As you probably know by now, only one will win the Goblin King, but there are many other men about searching for a wife or wench of his own. Say, I'll tell you my name, and you tell me yours. I am called Duke Yarin of the Underground's Eastern Sector, Prince of Poi and Higim."

Sarah was a bit speechless. She had known Jareth was wife hunting, but not anyone else, and she hadn't even made it to the first event and she was already being assessed. He had seen the ring, but that hadn't put him off any. She would play along, heck, she wasn't even sure she liked Jareth yet, so why not explore. This was turning out better than in her world where she hadn't even had a boyfriend yet.

"Sarah."

"Sarah? Just Sarah…" he trailed off before smirking again. "Of course. Lady Sarah. Well, Lady Sarah, would you allow me to escort you to dinner?"

"Um, sure." Sarah took his proffered arm and they entered the dining room.

Jareth was already in the formal dining room. The room was designed to hold about hundred at the most, it could be expanded with magic, but that was stressful. There was one enormous table, each side of the head holding fifty. Jareth had prime view of the entrance, and could see up and down the table at his leisure. The seats on both of his sides were currently occupied by two chitchatting women who just thought that they were the Creator's gift to the world, clinging on his chair arms and leaning as far over to him as their corsets would permit without spilling up and out. Though, he wouldn't complain of the view, their voices and the nonsense they were rambling on about was nerve wrecking, and he hadn't even begun on appetizers.

He was tuning them out, listening more to the annoucment of who was entering, waiting for Sarah. He was curious as to what dress she had chosen to wear. He had had his tailor make a month's supply of garments so she wouldn't have to re-wear anything, even if she had an accident in a gown like spilling wine or something, which was bound to happen. He had her closets stocked with all the luxuries he could imagine, her drawers packed with undergarments of visual delights and sensory temptations.

He chuckled to himself. Yes, he had indulged in dressing her up; she was like his doll but a very driven and full minded thing, nothing to be compared to Ibsen over.

As Jareth was taking a sip from his cup, he nearly snorted out the wine through his nose. Sarah, gorgeous and radiant had turned many a woman's head at her entrance and title given to her by the public and by law. She was the only mortal of another realm to achieve a title by such an antiquarian law. But, that's not what startled Jareth. What startled him was that she was being escorted by that dreadful vampire.

He wanted to snarl and through a crystal straight into his skull. Let the cleaners have a piece of him and leave all the shredded pieces in the Bog of Eternal Stench. That would be too kind. Sarah didn't know what he was—but he had to have smelled her, been drawn to her. He saw that she was wearing the ring and that should protect her. He would be sure to put a spell on her for added protection later. He hadn't thought that bloodsucker would come to his party, it was his—hadn't that man ruined his life enough as it was? He was the blackguard that had stolen his wife in waiting. Not that he was complaining, but this guy had to leave his women alone. Seriously.

He watched Sarah. She was looking along the now full tables as they were the last to enter, her eyes skating along each face until she found the center and found him. He would never forget that look of relief at finding familiarity, the lines around her eyes disappeared, and her lips almost allowed her to smile at him, until she must have remembered why she was hear, and then her mask went back up. The Duke whisked her to the end of the table.

Throughout the meal both were stealing glances at one another from across the table, but Jareth did his in a way no one else could see. Instead of turning his head, he kept enough liquid in his cup to cast an image of her in it like his crystals could. He would sit back, as if in thought, studying his drink, as the women on his sides had somewhat given up hope of entertaining him, and he would watch the Duke bring a smile onto her mature face, watch as he rubbed his fingers around her lithe neck, brushing back dark hairs from her nape. Sarah was uneasy, but allowed his access. She wasn't fighting him. Of course not, he thought, as those kinds have ways of pulling a person into their world of security of trust and then it was over.

Sarah would not become that beast's dessert. He would see to that during the dance.

After supper, the crowd managed to make their way to the ballroom, it was in the same one that Sarah had found herself in all those years ago that he had held for her, but this time she knew it wasn't a dream. It wasn't as lofty and mystical; there was a band playing somewhere, Sarah couldn't see them but their strings and tingling harpsichord floated over the crowd. People were literally everywhere and Sarah tried to stick to the wall, edging her way around the room. That Duke had left her for a spell as he claimed to have seen someone and had some quick business to attend to. Sarah merely nodded and decided to see if she could spy his Highness.

She had found him along the table during the meal but he had paid her no attention, not even a glance. She was slightly hurt; she would felt she at least deserved an acknowledgment. At least more than a nod, perhaps a few words. She had come under the impression that she was to be his escort, but apparently she wasn't needed.

Then she got this terrible feeling that maybe altogether he was avoiding her.

That's when Sarah broke out of a wall of very drunk women and found herself standing in front of the refreshment table. Some parts of it was covered in oysters, chocolates, some powdery looking stuff, truffles, citrus, strawberries, and some other things she didn't recognize. There was enough booze to sink a ship and then more. Sarah grabbed a flute and started knocking back a few drinks within a few minutes of each other.

Sarah then went back to being against a wall nursing her flute as she sipped watching the crowd swirling and dancing. She then noticed that around the walls were several silk drapes that hung in long folds and a slight breeze was drifting the lace around them in the air. They covered alcoves and hallways that went off into various parts of the castle Sarah thought. In the center of the ball room was a lower level pit with pillows and already had people sitting down in it talking.

Sarah had thought that she would have been able to recognize that argoant piece of work but as everyone was wearing a mask she couldn't tell. Several men had the same swagger, the same multi-colored hair and lithe body. Sarah felt hot, tired, and annoyed as time wore on.

She watched as the evening edged toward the night and the dancing became more frantic and everyone passed her by as they started caressing another more, their hands dancing across their bodies, their half-faced masks not providing a hindrance to their facial assault their tongues enacted. She found herself becoming fascinated as several couples started to drift off to corners and alcoves to play in private. It didn't matter that women with each other and men with men, here it was acceptable; it was as if they indulged for the pleasure of the bodies, not for appearances sake. Sarah was entranced at the pair who had fumbled their way near her and went behind some drapery. She slowly made her way over to the red drapes and was about to draw it back a little when someone's hand landed on her lower back.

She glance back and was about to ask who it was, when he lifted his mask a bit to show her he was the Duke. She just smiled back, not quite sure of what to say to that.

"You've been drinking haven't you?" He asked as he removed her glass. Sarah nodded. "How many have you had?"

"I—can't remember. I don't know, but I feel—"

"That is Elvin wine. Its way more potent than anything you mortals can make, and one as yourself who isn't use to it should really just have had one glass at the most. You're going to feel it in the morning."

"Oh." Sarah's mind wasn't working the way she wanted it to, to come up with some witty response or something.

"No matter. It's here to make one feel alive anyways. Come, dance with me," he directed her away from the drapery and towards the center of the crowd in his warm, large hands.

Sarah felt her body mold to his as he pulled her closer to dance. Her arms found themselves around his neck and his around her waist, moving closer and closer to her lower back and running his fingers up and down her back, making her tremble slightly. He kept that up for a while, Sarah wasn't sure how long as her eyes had drifted close and she found herself just being led around the room. She found it quite pleasant.

"You're cold. Come, let us move aside and find somewhere a bit warmer."

"No, I'm cold," Sarah moaned at the lost of contact. It felt so good. "I'm actually very hot. I need to cool down."

"Really? Then let us go get some air, I know the perfect place." He held out his hand and Sarah put her hand in his and was led away through some drapery and down a hall.

She was unbelievably hot; her body felt like it was giving off waves of heat and she felt a bit tipsy. She began to think that it was the wine.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked as they pasted groups of people in all sorts of positions and circumstances along the walls, echoes of their moans and screaming vibrated down the passageway.

The Duke stopped outside of a door, he knocked and held his ear to it, listening and hearing nothing entered with Sarah. He locked the door and then turned to face Sarah, removing his mask. "You look very beautiful, Sarah."

"Thank you," she swallowed the last word almost. She looked around and saw that they were in some quest chamber or something. There were large windows in the back which opened as a door onto a balcony. She needed some air desperately. She went off to open the door.

As soon as Sarah had stepped out into the night, the Duke was behind her, stroking her side, her forearm, nuzzling her neck and whispering things into her ear she wasn't sure what they meant. As her mind started to turn to mush at the sensations he was providing her, she tried to focus on the strange words he was saying. She found herself being edged back into the room, the windowed door left ajar, and onto the edge of the bed.

He had her knees back into the bed so she sat as he continued showing favor to her neck, licking and sucking, blowing cool breathes onto it, then licking some more. It felt glorious to her burning skin. "How are feeling, Sarah," he asked.

"A little better, but still hot," she moaned since he pulled away.

"Where?"

"Everywhere." Yarin then tugged the zipper on Sarah's gown down, slowly working his fingers along her back and massaging her skin. He lowered it enough so her shoulders were free and he started to focus his attentions on them.

Sarah was in bliss at the attention he was providing her, doing things that no man had ever down. She mind was thoughtless just thinking of pleasure and more pleasure and need to multiply it.

He had slowly pushed her back and slid his way on top of her, supporting himself over her with his arms but left his unquestioning intentions against her waist. Sarah couldn't comprehend what was going on, his ministrations, his attention—it was all so intoxicating on top of her drinking…

One of his hands had slid down to her knee and pushed her legs apart, caressing behind her knee, slowly creeping up the inside of her thigh while making loving circles on her skin with his fingers and on her neck with his tongue. Sarah moaned, and he moved his hand back up to Sarah's hand and entwined his fingers with his made small nibbles along Sarah's collarbone so she started heaving slightly, with every raise of her breasts she felt beyond the heavens and she never wanted to come back.

Yarin separated his hand from Sarah's and without her knowing had slipped off Jareth's ring and tossed it across the bed. It glistened and fell over the side and that was that. He went back to placing his hand along her thighs and as Sarah moaned more and more for him, she unconsciously leaned towards him, offering herself.

He wasn't one to say no, and so the hand crept higher, higher until he felt her undergarments, damp and slick. He slid a finger inside and Sarah cried out at the intimate contact as a surprise.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No!" She snapped almost frustrated. So Yarin started his circular motions on the most blessed nub and watched Sarah in her frenzy bite her lip and grip his arms, pinning him to her. She wanted to cry and smile, the sensations so new to her. The Duke suddenly stopped and started to back away from Sarah, and saw her fear in eyes wondering if she did something wrong, but he just smirked back.

Then, he started to slip her underwear down her legs and he squatted on his haunches, and Sarah just leaned forward, wondering what he was going to do. Her eyes almost bulged when he lifted her gown around her waist and started a trail of kisses from her naval to lower and lower and then he blew his warm breath on her and then sucked. He sucked and flicked with his tongue in ways that Sarah's head fell backward and she felt speechless and numb. His tongue flicked and licked, caressed and laved, his lips pursed and sucked, nestled and bumped, his teeth scrapped and nibbled and pinched before he would kiss again. Then his tongue would continue its acrobatics and just when Sarah thought she had transcended heaven, and her muscles started to tighten and flutter, his tongue had moved even lower, and started lapping. When she felt herself breathing slightly better, his tongue went back to that bead and started working again, but then shortly after his a slender finger had replaced where his tongue had just been and started moving back and forward. Sarah was even more beyond what she thought was capable and collapsed onto the bed, starting to cry out. He just quickened his pace, and with his other hand started to unbutton his breeches. The momentum of his pace had Sarah moving back onto the bed and he slowly removed his mouth and watched Sarah in her struggle to regain control over her body. He started to move back up her body and with his arm, easily lifted her up and onto his lap as he sat down.

Sarah opened her eyes as she felt him against her. Her belly was steaming in the glistening heat of her sweat from the material of her dress and the workout she felt she just went through, and now, he was leaning heavily on her.

"This is going to hurt a little, but I can take away the pain. Do you want me to take away the pain you'll feel down there?" He panted.

Sarah tried to clear her groggy brain, and understand what he was saying. She didn't want to feel pain—that was silly. "I don't want pain," she breathed out.

Yarin licked his lips and smiled. He leaned in to kiss Sarah and let his tongue roll with hers so she could taste herself. Sarah growled in her throat and Yarin pulled back, breaking the kiss. He lowered her dress more so he could see her breasts and watched them in their excitement heave up and down, their pert nipples hard and upturned. He brushed his finger across one and loved how it bounced back, He cupped both and with his fingers and palms rubbed and massaged them, relaxing Sarah again. He moved an arm around her waist, ready to lift her onto him and rubbed his head in the curve of her neck, lovingly. He turned his head, smelling her. He hadn't smelled anyone in so long smell so fresh of the mortal realm, so alive in their finite blood source. He had to try some, to taste some…He rolled his head slightly above her collarbone—

The balcony doors flew open farther and a white barn owl came streaking through the room straight for Sarah's head. At the noise she had jumped back and seeing the bird flying straight at her she had flew out of the Duke's grip and he had released her hastily, cursing. As Sarah had fallen ungraciously to the floor the owl and been replaced by a livid Jareth who was flaring in nostrils, smelling the air.

The Jareth that stood towering over Sarah was holding his royal saber at the throat of Yarin who was leaning back on the bed on his elbows smirking.

"What have you to say about being caught with my guest?" Jareth snarled. He hadn't even spared a look at Sarah for fear his heart would tear at the sight of what he had only slightly glimpsed.

Yarin answered, "I believe, as your guest, she has as much freedom to frollick about with whomever she pleases, as many other young women here may."

"She is clearly marked off limits to any repulsive creatures as yourself," he then addressed Sarah who was behind him without looking at her. She was trying to make herself decent but was having problems with the zipper. "Sarah, I suppose if this is your way of getting my attention you will have it solely in a moment."

"Ah, Goblin King," Yarin rolled it off his tongue with disqust. "I wasn't about to take anything of yours which was marked. Only those unlabled flocks do I steal from."

"She clearly sports my seal—"

"Seal? What seal?" He raised an eyebrow. Sarah understood what was being said and looked down at her hands while they were talking. Her hands were bare.

"The ring she wears!" Jareth roared as he turned slightly to glance over at Sarah and saw she was looking at her bare hands.

"Where is it?" He barked.

"I dunno…it was here, I swear…" Sarah was puzzled and felt like crying now. She felt as if she had lost her brother all over again, as if she had done something truly difficult.

"Yarin! I command you to leave my kingdom within the hour, if you are anywhere near my borders the order will be given to kill you on the spot! And for everyone's sake, do your trousers up!" Jareth kept his saber level at Yarin's neck as he waited for him to leave the room.

Jareth then turned onto Sarah, locking all windows, doors and commanded with a flick of his wrists the ring to appear in his hand. He gave it to Sarah and then moved his gloved hand under his nose, to smell the leather rather than the air. Sarah was terrified of this Jareth, tight lipped and impossibly pale. He slightly trembled and turned away from her, as if disgusted by her presence and sat on an ottoman, staring at the wall across from him, for a while. His whole body sagged a little and the two remained quiet for some moments.

Sarah felt the need to break the silence, but she knew not what to say. Every time she thought she knew, she would open her mouth to talk but Jareth would clear his throat or sigh, and she would stay quiet a bit longer.

Eventually, Jareth, still looking at the wall said to no one in particular, "Do you know what Yarin is?"

Sarah, had assumed that he had been like Jareth, "Isn't he like you?"

Jareth snorted into his hand at that and almost managed a sick laugh, "I am Fae. He…he is from the Vampire race. He was going to taste you. You—stupid—stupid woman! You removed your ring—"

"I didn't, I don't remember—"

"You must have, or he did! Someone, you didn't fight it! I put protection into that ring to defend you from bad things Sarah," Jareth was now looking at her, "it would have protected you. I don't think you want to be dead, or worse, bearer of some freakish vampire race. It's how they keep going—they'll screw anything on two legs, same sex or not, and taste them. It's to get that adrenaline going. Mortals are rare and they sometimes are permitted by the High Court to travel to your world to hunt. They are not allowed to here, but they try. That's why they sneak into these parties and such, once they set their marks on someone, the charm draws them in. Sarah, damn, Sarah. I could have lost you!" He rose and crossed over to look out of the window.

"How did you know where I was?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you all night here and then, and then I lost sight of you, I couldn't find you anywhere. I then looked and saw you in a room, with him. I had to find rooms, and the fastest way is by owl when everyone is up to what you were doing. And thankfully I found you. Did he—you know—" he gestured.

"Know?"

"Penetrate?" Jareth looked away, afraid. He didn't care if Sarah had had many lovers previously, he had many—but he didn't want the one he loved to be a pawn in any bed of Yarin's. He had already lost one woman to him. And if Jareth had been just a moment later, she would have to be rushed to the physicians—but the venom would have spread through her blood quicker than normal and she would have ended up comatose or dead.

"No."

"Have you ever been?"

"You mean, slept around before?"

"That's very crudely put Sarah."

"And if I have?"

"I—it would be harder—I must be going now, seeing as you are safe," Jareth collected himself and starting towards opening the door to the balcony.

"Jareth?" he paused. "Thank you. I wish we could talk some more."

"Later. For now go bathe," he finally removed his leather glove from his face and get some sleep—you are unbelievably drunk. It's only going to get worse, I would give you something but you need to learn a lesson."

And with that he flew away.

A/N: Sorry, everyone, I do not have the original story anymore, so I am working off of memory—it must have got deleted or something, the original few chapters posted I found online on an old Labyrinth posting site I used to frequent but I never finished posting it up there. No matter, my memory and my imagination now are more than up to making this story better than the other one by far and with more fodder to work with it will be. So, hopefully you all enjoy, spread the story around and come back for more later. Thank you for your kind R/R's they are fab and I read each every one, plus for all those you subscribe and add to story alerts I check out profile to see who is tagging alone for the ride and it is fascinating to see how many people are so different are joining along. Love it! Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jareth was pacing around his room and the early rays of sunlight were starting to peek across the Labyrinth. He had not closed his drapery that late night and in the early morning he had still not slept a wink. He was beyond frustrated with the confused mess his mind was spinning through his head. He was angry, yet happy, sad and yet depressed.

Angry because Sarah had went off with that horrid blood sucking nuisance who seemed to swoop upon anything Jareth loved; happy that Sarah had not slept with him, to bare one of his children or was laying in a pool of blood dead; sad because Sarah was the one he believed he wanted to be with after all these years and yet he had not had the chance to confess his feelings but he most likely wouldn't after what happened the last time he tried that…and depressed because everything worth fighting for was always exhausting. Always.

Anything breakable, was shattered, or ripped around the room. Jareth plopped himself down onto his winged back chair and sat staring around at his mess. It was beautiful destruction he decided as he saw all his portraits were hanging pathetically down; flower vase porcelain and glass were piled around the walls in little mountains; curtains were pulled down and torn into rags which hung here and there and his table was upturned. His clothes were scattered everywhere but as he sat in his chair, he snapped his fingers and everything was back to right.

It wasn't fair to make someone else do the cleaning work when he could do it so fast.

He turned the chair to face his balcony and watched the sun rise; he didn't remember anything much more because he fell asleep shortly after. After all tonight more events were to occur. And as it is in Sarah's world, it is known that that is when all the danger comes out.

Sarah had scrubbed herself raw in a state of frustration and anger. Her skin was flaming red and tender to the touch. Truly, Jareth's kingdom knew how to provide bathing equipment as she had poured a herself a silky mixture of heaven scented foam and bubbles and used soft cloths and hard exfoliates–but none of it seemed to help scrub away the shame she felt as Jareth's eyes and facial expression keep in the forefront of her memory. And then his gloved hand that kept under his nose…he probably couldn't even stand the smell of her now and he wouldn't even look at her after he sent Yarin running…

Sarah just kept thinking that she had really messed up again with him. But, a tiny part of her mind kept telling her that he hadn't yet thrown her out back home. Not yet anyways. She half expected that when she came out of the bathroom in her lush and ultra-fluffy robe that all her belongings would be packed and at the door. But they weren't.

In fact, as Sarah awoke that next morning a tray of food was next to her on the night stand and two letters. Both were written in flowing handwriting from a fountain pen or quill and Sarah, thinking that they were both from the Goblin King opened the first, and her eyes went straight to the bottom of the page and saw it was from the vampire Duke, Yarin.

Sarah's eyes trailed back to the top of the paper as she started to read what he had to say to her, first thing in the morning. If it was morning, she thought as the room was dim; someone had gone and shut her lace and drapes.

The letter in short was an apology and Sarah couldn't even continue to read it without feeling sick. She screwed up the letter and tossed it to the far side of the room. She opened the other letter and it was from Jareth. It too was an apology, but rather in one line instead of a page. The next few lines regurgitated last night and then it closed with a 'you'll come to understand'. And then he signed it.

Sarah screwed up that page too and tossed it. Men were ticking her off now. Especially when she didn't quite understand them with her lack of experience and years on top of it—and now two handsome, immortal, unearthly males were after her both of whom she wanted to strangle a bit. Something had to be wrong with her for sure because no man wanted her and now this…

"Ugh!" Sarah screamed into her pillow and tugged the covers back over her head. She had decided that she was not going to leave her bed for the rest of the day. But the rest of the week wasn't sounding so bad either…when she woke, she decided she would get Jareth, perhaps strangled close to death would work....

"Where is she?" Jareth growled into the face of a little goblin who was freshly enlisted last week into the army. He had him lifted off the ground and had his fist bunched into his collar to dangle him behind the catering's back service hallways.

"I's don't know! I's swear!" He squealed.

"Then I suggest you find out!" Jareth spat. He needed to know where she was as dinner had come and gone and now the second night of gallivanting was about to start and he hadn't seen any sign of her. Of course, the first person he spied was Yarin and immediately he narrowed his eyes and observed him oiling his way around another young woman who was giggling and flustered as Yarin's hand disappeared under the table. Jareth would have conjured a crystal to look but he didn't want to cause a scene…besides any goblin or person could glimpse over and see who he was looking in on.

The goblin went scurrying off as fast as he could and Jareth heard chairs being slid back and chatter picking up again as the guests headed to the ballrooms again. He leaned against the wall and shut his eyes, exhausted and fed up with the charade. He couldn't wait for it all to be over and he could propose and then marry and everything would be alright. But no…he had to wait two more days before his parents came down and gave their consent…

And Jareth never knew any one more anti-mortal than his father.

And so Sarah woke up quite rudely after thinking she had just shut her eyes to the feeling of a rather heavy goblin bouncing on her side of the bed saying something.

Sarah had almost flew out of her bed being startled and shrieked. Somehow that resulted in a nasty tangle of blankets and sheets with a young woman inside of them upside down. The little goblin recruit was peering down at the woman.

"I's found you! I's did! Found you!" He kept repeating.

"What do you mean you found me, you horrid devil, thing, you!" She rose spitting angry. She felt like she had a level four hangover and was holding her head which she felt like would topple off if she wasn't too careful onto the spinning floor and would end up somehow splattered onto the wall. Ugh.

"His Highness—angry and wants to know where you be—"

So—that got through her fuzzy mind and sharpened it. He was being nosy. Wanting to know where she was when she was resting, thinking she might be doing what she was last night, eh? She would teach that good for nothing, lousy, nosy, meddling man.

"Is that all?" she asked as she bent to cover herself with the blankets. She was a tad bit exposed.

The goblin stood on the bed, tapping his chin thinking if that was all. He hummed a bit and decided that if there was anything else to say to her he couldn't recall, so then he nodded that that was all. Sarah fisted her blanket with one hand then, and then with the other pointed at her door, growled lowly, "Then get out now and knock next time."

The little creature then scurried out, afraid that this maiden was too much in temper like her master.

Sarah moaned into her hand and saw through the curtains that it was getting late and perhaps time she dressed and made an appearance. Just as she was going to her wardrobe someone tapped at her door.

"If that's you Jareth, I swear—"

"No, Ma'am, it's Apepi."

"Apepi?" Sarah repeated trying to think of who that was and then remembered that it was the female Fae from the previous night. "Come in!"

Apepi opened the door and slid in through a small gap then closed it again. "Good evening Lady Sarah," she said with a curtsy.

"Evening."

"Are you ready to get prepared for this evening?"

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"It is not my duty to wake those who choose not to be awoken."

"But—"

"It is for the better that you use your time to try to attract his majesty's attention, which you have again this evening attained by your absence. I think that it is working."

"Working in the wrong light."

"Neverless, working," Apepi grinned again and with a flick of her hand had Sarah's outfit chosen and had started working on her.

By the time that Sarah was ready and making her way down the stairs, she paused as she heard the other guests emptying out of one of the rooms and with their laughter and voices, were making their way outside another door.

She couldn't see this door, so she waited until the hall was silent before creeping down and very faintly she could hear where they had ventured over too. She carefully looked about to make sure she wasn't seen by anyone and found large French doors which were pulled back. In the doors place she saw sheer looking hangings billowing in the wind and through them she saw that she could see what could only be more of the Labyrinth beneath a large stone tiled patio. She crossed over and through to the outside and saw that this section of the Labyrinth was a hedge garden. From the height that she was at she couldn't see the faces or make out who was who, but she could see people in their finery running around through the hedges and hear the giggles and such as people went taking off to be hidden. She could see that the people were either playing a hide and seek game or something akin to tag—but she just didn't know who the one was doing the chasing.

But, she did believe that she was familiar blonde and so Sarah stepped off of the landing, lifting up her skirts and went jogging into the garden hedged Labyrinth.

"Big mistake, Sarah, big…It's not like before now is it---what did I do before—blue worm…blue worm…there are no blue worms!" Sarah moaned at herself and stomped her foot but it wasn't as satisfying when one can't see or hear it since it's muffled under a ton of material.

Sarah was lost. She lost sight of everyone and soon the sound muffled out and silenced. The light was quickly fading and when Sarah backtracked she could swear that the walls had changed on her. Then she remembered why everything wasn't fair—

It was because they had changed.

Then she remembered what that blue worm had said so very long ago to her. That nothing is what it seems and so she raised her hands, faced a scratchy looking hedge and started walking into it—but it didn't give.

So Sarah picked up her skirts and started running with her hand bushing against the wall getting slightly cut and pricked as she trailed it along. Her breathing was hitched because of some corset Apepi had trapped her into and her hair was falling loose from her loose bun she had. She was not happy at all.

And while a rather foul word spewed from her lips she found an opening in the wall which caused her to trip a stumble sideways and out of the wall into a stone section of the Labyrinth. She tried to go back but the entranceway was now shut or it only worked the one way.

"Freaking hell—now I'm deeper in this shit hole. Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Sarah sat down on the stone with her skirts hitched around her middle and her eyes stinging from holding back her frustration.

"I swear that once I find that man, I will pull out every strand of his hair! Yank all of his toenails out with pliers and shove those damn crystal balls so far up his nose—" she muttered to herself, but fell silent because she thought she heard something.

There it was again.

Sarah stood up quietly and waited to see if she heard it again. She couldn't quite make out where it was but every time she heard it, she hurried a few feet in the direction she thought it was and waited till it happened it again. It sounded like some animal noise or something deep.

It was within minute or so that it started to increase the occurrence of the noise and Sarah started jogging faster then, like a cadence letting that rhythm guide her and then as she turned corner after corner she heard it get louder and louder and more and more animalistic. She was a bit nervous that she was running towards some unknown, but then thought, it could be something like Ludo for all she knew.

And then she skidded around a corner and paused as quickly as slamming on some emergency brakes.

It wasn't an animal—well, not the kind she was expecting. There was a female with her head back, swaying side to side as she moaned and groaned and shrieked in some pleasure or pain, Sarah couldn't decide, sitting on a stone bench. Her breasts were exposed as the lace up front corset was undone and a man whose hand was groping her and fondling her reached up. He was kneeling in front of her, with one leg over his shoulder as he was feasting on her. Sarah could barely hear him moaning a little, lapping and sucking, as his other arm was holding her to his face.

She was hypnotized by the sight in front of her and though her mind told her to flee right now, run far away, she couldn't somehow get her feet to do what her mind told her to. Her senses were heightened at the sight and she felt her skin tingle, her nose flare at the scent, her mouth become wet as did her nether regions. Her legs were weakened and Sarah could not tear her eyes away, watching the woman and at the same time wondering what it was like, wanting to know all that she didn't know and had no opportunity to try.

When she almost did, Jareth had taken it from her. And in the back of her mind, Sarah knew that she had hated Jareth then—she wouldn't be in this predicament if it wasn't for her wanting to find him and tell him to stop being nosy, or even here at all if he hadn't invited her—no, it was Jareth's fault.

All his fault.

And so Sarah fell into a bit of temptation as she let a small moan escape her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

That was her second mistake, the moan. The first was when she had thought she had saw Jareth and had went into the hedge Labyrinth.

As soon as that noise had escaped Sarah, the woman had screamed—no, shrilled because the man beneath her had bitten down—but that man was no man but another guest like the Duke.

This vampire had heard both the shrill and behind him the moan and in one smooth movement had rose, covered the woman's mouth and stared straight into Sarah's terrified eyes. She hadn't expected the man to move so quickly, but that unnaturally quick movement sent her nervous screaming to run, especially once she saw the blood on his chin, nose and lips. Sarah choked, stumbled backwards and ran.

She ran flat out as quickly as she could in heels and started to not realize what way she was turning as long as she did.

The vampire smirked when he saw the girl, and as soon as she had fled he dropped the woman who was almost dead from the venom seeping into her, stopping the congealing of her blood. It was a magnificent site really, he thought as he lowered her skirts and saw that the blood was spilling from under her was beginning to soak into the hemming.

The woman crumpled onto the bench and fell off of it. The vampire removed a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his face. He then sniffed it, and returned it to his pocket before he started to trot after the girl. His nostrils flared and he had no problem following after.

Sarah's heart was pounding and thudding and her throat was dry and she started to dry heave and tire quickly. Her mind was swearing over and over at her—she was tired of run ins with this other world which seemed life-threatening—

No being would ever do what she saw—that poor woman—blood—what was happening? Her mind reeled—

Her mind told her that it was like the Duke, it had to be—blood—vampire—that had to be what he was going to do to her—had to be.

Run. Turn. Turn. Run.

Sarah's hands were cut open leaving blood on the hedges—she didn't realize it—she was concentrating on finding another opening. But she didn't realize that she was leading him straight to her.

He started to pick up the pace as the scent he was following was rare in this region—human. He was feral, carnal—aroused all around and ran faster—

And then he had her cornered.

Sarah was about to back up as she had turned into a dead end and her back tapped against something solid and she thought the walls had changed and she had walked into one, until the wall grabbed her arms and pinned her.

"Let me go!" She screamed, flailing about.

He chuckled. "You must be that human girl the King has eyes only for. Shhh…."He leaned down and sniffed Sarah who was not strong enough to fight back.

When Sarah felt him sniffing her, and then licked her neck, Sarah's anger boiled over and she had a burst of strength that erupted from her and the vampire suddenly was thrown several feet away and Sarah too in the opposite direction.

Sarah hit a stone wall and fell through it. She could see the wall and the vampire was already up and about to reach through and grab her when he was repealed back like he was burned or something. Sarah scooted back and onto her feet and kept running.

That's when she noticed as she was running that her hand was throbbing-the hand with the ring on it. She glanced down and saw that the signet was actually pulsating rather fast and in rhythm with her heart.

"Jareth!" she exclaimed thinking of him at sight of the ring.

That's when she turned around a corner and was grabbed by someone else and pulled into another entryway. Sarah screamed again.

"Sarah! Quiet! It's only me!" Sarah opened her screwed shut eyes and looked into the mismatched ones of the Goblin King.

"How? Vampire! Running! You?" So many questions were running through her mind that they all were battling for dominance over Sarah's tongue.

"Were you bitten? Are you alright?" He asked, worried—not again so soon, he thought and his thoughts were back on the Duke who he had kept his eye on that evening.

Sarah shook her head and gasped for some air. Jareth looked at her hand and saw she had the ring on so she shouldn't have been attacked. It was hot to the touch, so she must have been close to some danger to activate it and have the ring summon him.

He had felt the ring call out to him and he had appeared to find Sarah in a mess, again, but under different circumstances.

"Sarah, I'm taking you back with me. Enough of these silly games that you aren't ready to play. I'm tired of the farce." Sarah had her face buried into his coat and she blinked and saw that they were now in a very manly, kingly, room.

"Come, sit" he motioned to his wing backed chairs and had her sit down in them.

"Where are we?"

"My quarters." He simple stated as he made two crystals and giving one to Sarah which turned to some type of liquor. "We are going to end this charade, tomorrow and send the guests home. I don't care about the tradition anymore. I didn't to begin with. I choose you, Sarah, which is why I invited you to start with. Is that alright with you?"

"Me? Choose me? Like, for your wife?"

"Yes."

"Yes, I guess—I mean—so soon? Of course, but will I be able to go home—" Jareth held up his hand to quite her.

"There will be enough time for questions later. Stay in my room, do not leave. I have to issue out the order to have everyone leave. Then we have to visit my parents. They will need to know and approve. I am a member of the Higher Order but not a leader. There'll be a vote. I know it. I must get to them and have the majorities favor….Oh, there is so much to do, and so little time," Jareth sighed and fell back into his chair. Sarah tried to take in as much as he said as she was still recovering.

"Half of the leadership consists of vampires and you had to attract their attentions…no, that's wrong of me. You couldn't help it, they are just heighted to your smell…smell…I am so exhausted…forgive me, but I'm going to just close my eyes for a few…"

"Jareth?" Sarah repeated a few times but to no answer. He had fallen asleep and was lightly snoring. It was after all, evening and he had spent it worrying, and entertaining.

He had hoped that he wouldn't find Sarah by way of the ring calling. The little goblin had found him again and told him that she was in bed, getting changed and about to join them, but she had wandered off into a pleasure game.

A game which all the woman must run and hide in the Labyrinth and have till the morning to get back out. During the course of the dark hours, anything goes—men are allowed to pursue any woman and ask or do anything of or to her. Granted, the women were given only one pardon, and the men must acknowledge it and move on, but once used, it was used…and they didn't work for a King.

As this was Jareth's second time in hosting a potential marriage ball, he had already engaged in one of those games, but this time, he rather walked, occasionally flying around, cheating (he was allowed to after all) in search of a special person. He never dreamed that she would find herself in this maze of patriarchal sensuous pleasures. It was designed for men, by men, dating thousands of years back—but the one rule was that the woman had to be willing—and that clause was only added during Jareth's reign.

Author note:

It has been a long time since I've posted. I apologize for that, and am debating as to closing this ffnet account considering my prior one included many more stories that have since been erased. A few years ago my favourite adult Labyrinth forum also shut down disbanding friendships that help spur the inspirations to these stories. During the time I've been missing, I've finished my B.A. degree, working and have started a M.A. program as a broke student. No matter how many hours I work, it would seem that I never get ahead. The financial stress on students is enough to make someone go crazy or completely retreat into their imagination (both of which over the years I struggled with it seems) I've also taken up writing children stories and separately erotica and self publishing on Smashwords. I am starting my own series soon to be based on the sidhe. I encourage all of you if you're interested to search take a trip over to their website and look me up, C. F. Williams. My latest erotica work involves a Selkie. More stories and chapters to come. Thank you


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